Oscar Peterson My Favorite Instrument (Exclusively for My Friends, Vol. IV) 180g LP

Among the trio recordings in the Exclusively for My Friends series, this Vol. 4 stands out as a special one. It is Peterson's first solo album ever, on which he can literally play the full range of his abilities - inspired by the ideal recording conditions he found in Hans Georg Brunner-Schwer's Villingen recording studio. It is not without reason that these recordings are still considered a revelation for Peterson fans today, because the nine tracks are exemplary of all of his skills. There are the magnificent runs in "Someone to Watch Over Me," reminiscent of Art Tatum, the heated and complicated rhythms of "Perdido," the clever pedal work in "Body & Soul." In "Bye, Bye Blackbird" he develops the theme and improvisation as if in a showcase, with the charming miniature "Lulu's Back in Town" he presents himself humorously, and in "Take the 'A' Train" he reveals the tricks that can be used to give an evergreen a personal touch. But there is also Peterson's quiet side with the sensitive thoughtfulness of "Who Can I Turn To" or the overwhelming, deep-night tenderness of "Little Girl Blue." "The best jazz piano album ever made," said Canadian author Gene Lees at the time.